MTB Specific: What Tyre Pressures

[Frosty]

1.5-1.6 bar for me; according to my floor pump. Front and back.

[Block]

What gadgets are you guys using to measure pressure levels. My two pumps give totally different readings. Is the electronic gauges worth the expense 

[PaulieV]

11 minutes ago, Block said:

What gadgets are you guys using to measure pressure levels. My two pumps give totally different readings. Is the electronic gauges worth the expense 

I use a digital gadget, sorry can't recall the brand. My pump (which I assume is less accurate) reflects pressures about 40% lower than the gauge.  So I think I was seriously overinflating before buying the gauge.

 

[ChrisF]

27 minutes ago, Block said:

What gadgets are you guys using to measure pressure levels. My two pumps give totally different readings. Is the electronic gauges worth the expense 

 

Floor pump gauges are calibrated for road bikes, so the typical MTB pressures barely move the needle ... 

 

I have tried the digital press on cycling gauges .... works till it gets its first wiff of sealant.

 

Thought I will try this digital gauge.  Fitted a floor pump clamp to it, one that clips to both schreader and presta valves.

 

 

Comparing it to my trusty old car pressure gauge this one under reads by 0,1bar. (Who knows, old gauge may be over reading)  Either way I now have a quick and consistant reading.

 

Sometimes I just over.inflate with the floor pump, then use this gauge to get down to the right value

[PaulieV]

Thanks for that, it makes sense (regarding foot pumps and road bikes). I guess the 'actual' accuracy is not as important as the relative number. If you ride well at a certain reading, whether it's accurate or not, just use that same reading.

[TheoG]

14 hours ago, NotSoBigBen said:

What are these 'bars' y'all going on about?

I'm no lightweight and have settled on 25/28 PSI F/R on MTB and 32/35 PSI F/R on gravel

I have found that going too low on my gravel bike makes the bike wander around too much ...

No idea how accurate my pump is and I certainly am not one of those that can feel a single PSI either way either

Only stupid Americans & Brits use "psi" .... 😂🙊🤪

[DieselnDust]

15 hours ago, ChrisF said:

 

Floor pump gauges are calibrated for road bikes, so the typical MTB pressures barely move the needle ... 

 

I have tried the digital press on cycling gauges .... works till it gets its first wiff of sealant.

 

Thought I will try this digital gauge.  Fitted a floor pump clamp to it, one that clips to both schreader and presta valves.

 

 

Comparing it to my trusty old car pressure gauge this one under reads by 0,1bar. (Who knows, old gauge may be over reading)  Either way I now have a quick and consistant reading.

 

Sometimes I just over.inflate with the floor pump, then use this gauge to get down to the right value

Floor pump gauges are calibrated…???!!!!

sheeet that’s news to me. I thought someone just assembled the pump and gauge and slapped some packaging on it before heading to the canteen for a bowl of carbs and tea. 
unless a floor pump had actually been calibrated I’ll take the readings as seriously as I take fortune tellers (I’m still poor), sooth sayers and discovery bank ads

Edited July 21, 2022 by DieselnDust

[cadenceblur]

Please direct me to a spot that does this said calibration.

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, DieselnDust said:

Floor pump gauges are calibrated…???!!!!

sheeet that’s news to me. I thought someone just assembled the pump and gauge and slapped some packaging on it before heading to the canteen for a bowl of carbs and tea. 
unless a floor pump had actually been calibrated I’ll take the readings as seriously as I take fortune tellers (I’m still poor), sooth sayers and discovery bank ads

 

Grapgat 

 

You KNOW what I mean ....

 

 

 

But YES ... before the start of a hydraulic pressure test on a site I require the new calibration certificate from the contractor .... OFTEN, they have to re-shedule the test ....

 

 

PS - I have a BRAND NEW pressure gauge in my office which caused huge issues on a site .... low municipal water pressure, insufficient fire water pressure bla-die-bla .... turns out the brand new gauge was a dud .....

[ChrisF]

1 hour ago, cadenceblur said:

Please direct me to a spot that does this said calibration.

 

Used to be "Cape gauges" in Paarden island.

[117]

Interestingly enough, Ive just purchased a pair of Vittoria mezcal's 2.35's ( if anyone cares to know they'll run on my 30mm wide rims)... and the specs on the side walls suggest a pressure setting of between 2 ~ 4 bar (say 29 ~ 58psi for those stuck in the imperial ages)

For normal tar hood applications I issue around 2bar F/R, and for a road event I put as much as the poor floor pump will give me. When busting the dirt I run it down to around 1.7 on the rear and 1.2 on the front based on the pump gauge 

I wonder then if we are all running a too low a pressure on the tyres? (and perhaps a too high pressures on the suspentions?) 

Or did I just rabbit hole it? 

 

[dasilvarsa]

21 hours ago, 117 said:

Interestingly enough, Ive just purchased a pair of Vittoria mezcal's 2.35's ( if anyone cares to know they'll run on my 30mm wide rims)... and the specs on the side walls suggest a pressure setting of between 2 ~ 4 bar (say 29 ~ 58psi for those stuck in the imperial ages)

For normal tar hood applications I issue around 2bar F/R, and for a road event I put as much as the poor floor pump will give me. When busting the dirt I run it down to around 1.7 on the rear and 1.2 on the front based on the pump gauge 

I wonder then if we are all running a too low a pressure on the tyres? (and perhaps a too high pressures on the suspentions?) 

Or did I just rabbit hole it? 

 

Same Here

Don't go Over 2.5 Bar on MTB  (Sometimes Stuff Breaks with a Loud Bang Pop)

[Schuits]

On the topic of tyre pressure. I couldn't figure out why my back was washing out and I was bottoming out on rocks. I assumed the shop would inflate my tyres properly when fixing them.

So I bought a gauge and it turns out I was running 0.95bar!!! This explains a lot. Even probably why I did a face plant on a drop off and the rim later broke. Ran 1.5 and 1.6 today, much faster ride but also much bumpier.

[esCape-ist]

21 hours ago, Schuits said:

On the topic of tyre pressure. I couldn't figure out why my back was washing out and I was bottoming out on rocks. I assumed the shop would inflate my tyres properly when fixing them.

So I bought a gauge and it turns out I was running 0.95bar!!! This explains a lot. Even probably why I did a face plant on a drop off and the rim later broke. Ran 1.5 and 1.6 today, much faster ride but also much bumpier.

Seriously? You had to go out and buy a gauge to figure this out? You couldn’t just give the tire a squeeze and realise it’s too flat? I hardly ever use a gauge on my bike tires, just feel them and decide if they need more or less air.

I must say I’m pretty surprised by all of you running such low pressures though. 1.4-1.6 bar, I would be wrecking my rims. I only go that low if I’m riding on the beach. How do you keep the tires from rolling off the rim at those pressures? 
 

On my lightest days, I’m still on the wrong side of 98kgs….

[Schuits]

41 minutes ago, esCape-ist said:

Seriously? You had to go out and buy a gauge to figure this out? You couldn’t just give the tire a squeeze and realise it’s too flat? I hardly ever use a gauge on my bike tires, just feel them and decide if they need more or less air.

I must say I’m pretty surprised by all of you running such low pressures though. 1.4-1.6 bar, I would be wrecking my rims. I only go that low if I’m riding on the beach. How do you keep the tires from rolling off the rim at those pressures? 
 

On my lightest days, I’m still on the wrong side of 98kgs….

You would think I could figure it out by squeezing right?! Just been so long since I was riding I kinda forgot how hard it should feel.

I'm probably <90kgs, also didn't want to go from 1bar to 2bar straight away. But I'll try 2 & 1.9 on my next ride and see how it goes. The extra bumpiness seems to bother my AC injury quite a bit. 

Edited September 12, 2022 by Schuits

[Robbie Stewart]

43 minutes ago, esCape-ist said:

I must say I’m pretty surprised by all of you running such low pressures though. 1.4-1.6 bar, I would be wrecking my rims. I only go that low if I’m riding on the beach. How do you keep the tires from rolling off the rim at those pressures? 
 

On my lightest days, I’m still on the wrong side of 98kgs….

I'm somewhere around 120kg's. I've long since stopped stepping on the scale. At my age who care's anyway. 

I ride on Rapide TL29-36 wheels with Spez Butcher and Eliminator 2.6" tyres . My pressures on any given ride are between 1.6 and 1.8 bar and I have not so much as burped a tyre or damaged a wheel in the last year of riding them.

Lately I've been riding tons of Jonkershoek prepping for the upcoming Enduro, and then otherwise places like Hoogekraal on the new Hammer, or Plaisir de la Merle on the flow line, or Contermans Black Rhino's. That's about it as far as where I ride and should give you an idea of type of terrain. A good mix of groomed jump lines to rocky, janky gnar and everything in between.

I guess my point is size is relative to what you're expecting to carry you. I do find that riding on too hard tyres makes the ride bumpy and tiresome. A bit less pressure makes the bike feel more plush and forgiving on rocky trails. A bit more pressure helps when sending jump lines.